A new but familiar face has joined the Upper Hunter Mining Dialogue.

While Cate Sims is new to the Dialogue she will be familiar to many people in the Upper Hunter due to her past working with the Upper Hunter community and within the mining industry.

Cate will oversee stakeholder engagement and communications for the Dialogue.

Cate and her family lived in Singleton for more than 13 years until late 2016 when she moved to WA to take up the position of CEO at the Polly Farmer Foundation. During her time in the Upper Hunter, Cate worked in local government and in the mining industry, playing a significant role in establishing new Aboriginal education programs and contributing to building community and economic capacity in Aboriginal and wider communities.

Ungooroo Aboriginal Corporation, the Kawal Centre at Singleton High School and the Polly Farmer Program at Muswellbrook High School are just some of the programs and organisations that Cate helped build in the Upper Hunter which have grown and continue to thrive.

Cate recently returned to NSW with her husband to be near their sons. Cate takes up the reins from Bob Mackie, who has led engagement and communications for the Dialogue since 2015.

The UHMD would like to thank Bob for his significant contribution to building the positive relationships which now underpin the Dialogue including the roll out of the successful School Mine Tours Program.